Transnational the Canadian Crystallex that administers to the project the Cristinas, located in the Claritas, informed through an official notice that “has not been notified of any change of the Ministry of the Popular Power for the Basic Industries and Mining (Mibam) in relation to the project”. On the other hand, it extended that the Russian group Agapov is interested in operating the deposit, but not yet is an uprising of minister Rodolfo Sanz to average regional nationals and on the matter of the destiny of the Cristinas.

Natalie Garci'a
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Photo William Urdaneta

The controversy is served with the decision as the Ministry as the Popular Power for the Basic Industries and Mining (Mibam) to remove from the project the Cristinas, located in the population of the Claritas to the south of Bolivar, to the Canadian company Crystallex, that for years is after the environmental permissions that allow the operation him of the deposit, considered one of richest of Latin America with 21 million proven ounces of gold.

The holder of the Mibam, Rodolfo Sanz, declared to a regional transmitter the decision of the Venezuelan State to take the mine, something that from its arrival to the position came commenting. In repeated opportunities he asked himself to him the civil service one on the subject, but never he meant nothing on the matter.

Recently in the beginning of the mine the Camorra, in the municipality Sifontes, Sanz said that “I am not going to say nothing because it can serve for speculations”. And certainly the Cristinas was reserved until this Wednesday the intentions towards the mine, that will be from now on - according to an official source the new “mining district White Gold” where the countries will participate that integrate the Bolivariana Alternative for the towns of Our America (WHITE).

Without notifications
Crystallex produced an east official notice Thursday in which it declares: “Crystallex is conscious of some commentaries related to the control of gold of the Cristinas. The company has not been notified of any change in the position of the Mibam in relation to the project the Cristinas or the contract of operation of mines. In addition, the members of the equipment of Crystallex have had meetings, in as recent date as today (5 of November) with civil servants of Mibam and the CVG and did not consider questions in relation to the control of the Cristinas”.

Such meeting mentioned by the company talks about to the crossing of the Tomi mines and the Victory, located in the Pebble, to the Venezuelan State. The measurement would be executed between end of the 2008 and beginnings of the 2009. Both deposits will happen under the administration of CVG Minerven, although not yet there are definitive agreements, of there the surprise of the Canadian corporation before the ministerial announcement.

Elsewhere of the manifesto of the transnational one, that is worth to limit was sent from Toronto, Canada, in English, indicates that “Crystallex continues perform one's duty, it maintains his interest and it continues being the constructor and the operator of gold of the project the Cristinas. Crystallex will continue insisting if so for the expedition of the environmental license, in order that the project can advance to the benefit of Venezuela, the local communities, the interested parts and their shareholders”.

They add about the miner who “Crystallex International Corporation is a Canadian cradle in gold with an important operation and properties of exploration in Venezuela. The main assets of the society are the property the Cristinas in the state Bolivar, who is at the moment in phase of initial development in the production rate anticipated of two hundred thousand tons of mineral per day”.

Tension with the miners
On the other hand, one consulted several settlers of the Claritas to know the atmosphere of the mining zone after the announcement. The testimonies threw that “from this Wednesday the company has been picking up its things, we do not know why. This Thursday the security of the company has badly treated the miners who are in the zone”, who could begin to still more invade the environs from the deposit to the knowledge of the governmental measurement.

It is possible to remember that the contract subscribed with Crystallex signed during the management of Francisco Rangel Go'mez in the CVG, that is the present governor of the organization. For that time, the Canadian paid 15 million dollars by concept of the corresponding permissions. According to the agreements, the CVG would have to help in the procedure of other collections, as for example the necessary one for the use of the explosives.

However, never the destiny of the million paid dollars was known and have been many the dissatisfactions of the residents of the Claritas, that hoped to see arise the town thanks to the controlled operation from the deposit, but neither the one nor the other.

The population of the Claritas lets see the carelessness of the municipal, regional government and of the social commitments of the companies. In spite of being Cristinas one of the richest deposits of Latin America, their environs are of poverty and unemployment, and to verify it is only enough with giving a return by this town of the south, that not even counts on good basic services.

The closing of this edition it was known that an international agency reviewed the passage of the project the Cristinas to the group Rusoro Agapov, but in a meeting of high level between the Venezuelan Government and the representatives of Russia - who attend tables of work in Caracas to realise the binational agreements minister Sanz, was clear before the pretensions of the Soviets, to administer the Cristinas, reaffirming that before any pact the company will have to fulfill all the social commitments.

These agreements were established between Agapov and National the Minera company, with which they will sign this Friday in Maracaibo, the strategic alliance of the mixed company for gold that operates the Isidora mines and the Camorra, in Callao and Sifontes, respectively.

Another one of the points treated in the work tables was the possibility of a technological interchange with a Russian, expert corporation in the handling of the separation of gold and copper.

Without declarations

Until now minister Rodolfo Sanz has not given declarations to the average regional nationals nor to corroborate the cease of the concession, everything what this week has been known has been by the reports of the international agencies. On the other hand, Crystallex has not received official notification.

According to they count the understood ones, the deposit the Cristinas was given in concession for the first time in 1964 to the copilot of Jimmy Angel, the pilot whom “the free higher water fall discovered” of the world, since then companies like Placer Dome, Vannessa, Minca and Crystallex they have disputed its operation in the middle of legal lawsuits, that in 2002 they gave like winner to the Canadian, that whatsoever today presumably it must leave without to have made specific the project.